End of the Journey
by Tigertot
Summary: Prequel to An Emerging Trainer. Ash Ketchum finds himself competing in the Lanakila Conference, while also dealing with repressed feelings with the return of his friend Serena. Amourshipping.
1. Prologue: Realizing the Truth

Here we are: a new story. For those who are new, I've written two stories for the Pokémon universe in the past, with OCs of mine. However, this is my first story when it comes to dealing with established characters, and I won't screw it up. This story is a prequel to my previous two, but shouldn't be a big deal to read on its own.

With that in mind, let's delve in.

Song of the Chapter: Canalave City (Diamond & Pearl)

* * *

"Hey Ash!" exclaimed Serena as she descended on the escalator. "There's just one thing."

As Serena ran up the descending escalator, Ash was puzzled. What did she forget to say? Clemont and Bonnie were also confused, but kept watching.

Then, it happened.

Serena kissed Ash right on the lips as the escalator took her down. Blushing immensely, she smiled at the dumbfounded Ash as Clemont and Bonnie had massive eyes-open reactions/

"Thank you!" exclaimed Serena as she neared the end of the escalator. Ash, clearly in shock, brushed it off and cheered at Serena alongside Clemont and Bonnie. Their journey through Kalos together had been incredible, and this was an interesting ending to it.

* * *

Later on, Ash and Pikachu found themselves boarding their flight back to Kanto. However, as they boarded, a flight attendant looked at them in surprise.

"Ash Ketchum, correct?" asked the flight attendant.

"Yeah," replied Ash.

"We've actually upgraded your ticket to first class," replied the attendant. "Professor Sycamore did it as thanks for your help with the Team Flare incident."

"Wow, thanks," replied Ash as he walked through the aisles of the plane. Some people looked at him in awe, while others had no idea who he was. Ash sat down in his seat, with Pikachu jumping onto his shoulder.

"Pikachu, Kalos was great," uttered Ash. "Once we get back to Pallet Town, I think we deserve a break from adventure."

"Pika!" exclaimed the ever-optimistic Pikachu.

* * *

Midway into the flight, Ash found himself looking out the window, reminiscing about his journey in Kalos. His first meeting with Froakie. Discovering Goodra's homeland. Clemont's ridiculous inventions. The Kalos League.

Serena.

Upon thinking about Serena, Ash's mind raced towards one thing: the kiss. Ash finally understood what was going on. The reason for Serena wanting to find him. The fact that they rarely argued. Her support for Ash in his gym battles and the Kalos League. Her dislike of Miette.

It all clicked into place.

Ash, too, had some repressed feelings for her during the journey. It actually started early on, when he noticed Serena's Fennekin outfit and found her to look cute. While Ash had never really thought about romance, Serena had certainly caught his eye. He would keep these in mind, but would try and keep them locked away, for he was scared of rejection and wanted to focus on winning the Kalos League. Yet, the kiss had proved that rejection would never have happened. If anything, the opposite would've happened.

But it was too late.

Ash rested his head onto his tray table, crying slightly. Pikachu, clearly confused, tried to comfort him.

"Pikachu, I should've said something," Ash cried out. "Anything."

It was ironic. Ash had the confidence to jump off of buildings to save Pokémon, yet he was too shy to tell a girl that he liked her. The repressed feelings had taken their toll on Ash's mind.

"Pikapi!" exclaimed Pikachu, as if he was trying to make a point.

"You're right Pikachu," replied Ash. "I shouldn't let this get to me."

* * *

Several months later, Serena found herself in the busy streets of Mauville City, looking for the Contest Hall. As she sat at the side to look for a map, a girl approached her.

"Looking for the Contest Hall?" asked the girl.

"Yeah," replied Serena. "How could you tell?"

"The Contest Pass you have there," replied the girl. "Come with me, I'll show you where it is."

As the two of them walked through the streets, Serena saw a lot of interesting Trainers alongside Pokémon she had never seen before. To her, travelling felt incredible.

"Say, I didn't catch your name," uttered Serena. "I'm Serena. I'm a Pokémon Performer from Kalos that wants to learn new techniques from Contests."

"Nice to meet you Serena," replied the girl. "My name's May."

* * *

This is just a prologue chapter. Chapter 1 will be a year later, focusing on Serena's motivation to go to Alola. Anyways, see you next time! Make sure to check out my Tumblr (Tigertot15) and my subreddit on Reddit (/r/tigertotsfanfiction)!


	2. Chapter 1: Motivations

Here comes another chapter!

Song of the Chapter: Lumiose City (X & Y)

* * *

Serena was sitting in a cafe in Lumiose City with Clemont, Bonnie, and Sawyer, as the four of them were having a reunion of sorts one year after the end of their journeys in Kalos. Serena had some time off from her Performer mentoring from Palermo, so this would be nice.

"Great to see you guys again," uttered Clemont. "I left Clembot in charge of the gym so I could come here."

"Sucks that Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor couldn't come," replied Sawyer. "Still, it's not a big deal."

"Yeah," replied Serena. "It's just us four. The fact that we're having this little reunion alone makes it great!"

"Still, we're missing some people," replied Bonnie in a mischievous tone. "I wanted the whole reunion."

"So, how was Hoenn?" asked Sawyer. "Heard you met a friend of Ash's there."

"Yeah, May helped me around Hoenn," replied Serena. "Though I still wish Ash was around..."

Serena knew that she missed Ash. She couldn't deny it. Yet, she also felt as if she would be able to prepare for their next meeting more efficiently instead of just acting on impulse.

"You look tense," uttered Clemont. "Thinking about him?"

"No duh," replied Serena. "Hopefully the kiss was what got him convinced of the truth."

"This is a Lumiose City special report," uttered the news anchor on a nearby TV. "The Aether Foundation crisis in Alola is now over, with President Lusamine in a coma. In her place, her son Gladion has taken over the organization. We interviewed a trainer who assisted with ending the organization, who our viewers may recognize as one of the finalists in last year's Lumiose Conference."

Upon hearing that last sentence, Serena's ears perked up.

"So yeah, Lusamine was just being brainwashed to a degree by the Ultra Beast Nihilego," uttered Ash on the TV as Serena looked at him fondly. "But I helped out her kids in dealing with the Ultra Beast incident."

"She's in a trance now," uttered Sawyer. "Once she sees Ash, her eyes never stop looking."

"Actually, I have an idea," uttered Clemont. "Since Ash is in Alola, we can presume he's entering the Lanakila Conference."

"What are you trying to get at?" asked Serena. "That I should go see him?"

Clemont simply nodded as Serena blushed.

* * *

Inside her hotel room in Lumiose, Serena brought out her Pokémon. Braixen, Pancham, and Sylveon had been with her ever since her journey in Kalos. Sceptile, however, was her starter in Hoenn, who managed to evolve. Sceptile had shown interest in Contests and Pokémon Showcases ever since she was a Treecko, much to Serena's pleasure. And Milotic was a gift from Wallace, a famous Coordinator who showed interest in Serena's skills.

"Guys, we might be heading to Alola," uttered Serena. "To see someone important to us."

Serena's Pokémon expressed happiness at the idea of heading to the Alola region, which gave her the motivation to go with her plan.

* * *

So now we know why Serena's heading to Hoenn. Also, I gave her a Sceptile for a specific reason that you'll see later on.


	3. Chapter 2: Reunion

Yeah, I'm gonna be pumping out chapters more frequently than usual.

Song of the Chapter: Hau'oli City (Sun & Moon)

* * *

"Golisopod!" exclaimed Ash as his Golisopod fainted. Now he was just down to his Decidueye, as his Alolan Sandslash had also fainted earlier. His opponent, Hapu, was the kahuna of Poni Island and Ash's last obstacle before the Lanakila Conference. Her Mudsdale stood in a bulky stance, preparing for any future hits.

"Decidueye, it's all on you," uttered Ash. Decidueye flew out of his Poké Ball, and spread his wings out.

"Now, use Sinister Arrow Raid!" exclaimed Ash as his Z-Ring began to glow. Decidueye's Decidium Z began glowing as well as the Grass-type ascended into the sky alongside many, many arrows. He then tucked his body in as the arrows bombarded Mudsdale, before flying off and watching the arrows explode. Mudsdale took heavy damage, but held on.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed Hapu. Mudsdale began shaking the ground, which dealt quite a bit of damage to Decidueye.

"Finish this with Leaf Blade!" exclaimed Ash. Decidueye dashed at Mudsdale, letting out a massive strike with a swordlike leaf. Mudsdale was knocked out.

"Looks like you win," uttered Hapu. "Take this Groundium Z. You'll need it for the Lanakila Conference."

As Hapu handed Ash the Z-Crystal, his Rotom Dex suddenly emerged from his bag.

"There we go Ash!" exclaimed the Rotom Dex. "All of the trials completed!"

"Yeah Rotom, this is gonna be great," replied Ash.

* * *

Ash sat in a Pokémon Center, waiting for his Pokémon to recover from their injuries in the battle with Hapu.

"Rotom, can I contact Professor Kukui through you?" asked Ash.

"Video calls are something I can do," replied Rotom as the screen began contacting Kukui.

"Done the island challenge?" asked Kukui as he appeared.

"Yep," replied Ash. "Hapu was pretty tough."

"Nice," replied Kukui. "Head back to Melemele Island. I've got to tell you some stuff before the conference."

* * *

Ash got off his Pokéride Pelipper as he waved goodbye to it. Pikachu was still sitting on his shoulder, smiling and looking around at the nearby beach near Kukui's lab. Eventually, the two of them entered the house.

"SURPRISE!" exclaimed everyone inside. Ash, clearly shocked, looked around to see that his former Pokémon School classmates and Kukui had thrown a surprise party for him.

"We threw this together as a way of celebrating you finishing the island challenge," uttered Kukui. "Just relax for the rest of today. After all, the conference doesn't start until Monday."

"Yeah, I'm gonna take it easy for now," replied Ash. As he looked around the room, he noticed that there were macarons on the table alongside several other foods. As if instinct got to him, Ash grabbed a macaron and began chowing down as Pikachu snagged one as well. The macaron tasted pretty good. Yet, it also tasted familiar.

"Who made these?" asked Ash as he swallowed the macaron. "They're delicious!"

"I found a recipe online," uttered Mallow.

"Well, I remember tasting this exact kind of macaron in the past," replied Ash. "Let me just head to my room for a second. I left something behind there the last time I was here."

As Ash walked through the hallway, he opened the door to his old bedroom. For some reason, Serena was looking around the room for something. She had a red hat on and green shorts. Ash immediately experienced shock, but brushed it off.

"You made the macarons, didn't you?" uttered Ash. Serena immediately looked behind her to see Ash, and dashed towards him.

"Looks like I found you," replied Serena as she tackled Ash with a hug. Ash returned the hug, as it had been a year since they had seen each other. And Serena looked through the hallway to see Mallow, Lana, and Lillie giving her thumbs up.

"So what are you doing in Alola?" asked Ash.

"Well, I'm on vacation from my mentoring with Palermo," replied Serena. "So I thought I'd head over to Alola to see the Lanakila Conference."

"That's good," replied Ash. "I'm just glad to see you again."

* * *

Later that night, Ash found himself on the porch outside Kukui's house alongside Pikachu. He couldn't sleep due to the stress from the upcoming Lanakila Conference.

"Pikachu, the conference is gonna be tough," uttered Ash. "I heard both Gladion and Hau are competing."

"Pika..." uttered Pikachu.

"But we'll win this time," replied Ash. "I know we will. We've got the support of everyone we've met in Alola, plus a few others."

"Can't sleep either?" asked Serena as she opened the door. "My bedroom's air conditioning isn't working."

"Yeah, it can get really hot at night," replied Ash. "Feel free to sit for a bit."

Serena gulped slightly before sitting down.

"So, I forgot to ask how Hoenn was for you," uttered Ash.

"It was great," replied Serena. "Contests are fun. Also, I met someone you might know."

"You're joking," replied Ash. "Who?"

"I met May," replied Serena. "She helped me out with Contests in Hoenn."

"Yeah, I travelled with May back when I was in Hoenn," replied Ash. "Those were good times."

"I also caught some new Pokémon," replied Serena. "A Milotic and a Sceptile."

"Interesting," replied Ash. "I actually have a Sceptile myself."

"Yeah, I chose Treecko as my starter in Hoenn," replied Serena. "Still, I'm just glad to see you again."

"Me too," replied Ash. The two of them were blushing, but didn't notice each other. It seemed as if they both knew about the kiss, but neither of them wanted to say anything for fear of rejection.

* * *

Some emotional bonding. By the way, the confession won't be happening until later on, but there will be a large amount of buildup leading to it. Anyways, see you soon!


	4. Chapter 3: Off to Ula'ula

Gonna keep steamrolling through chapters.

Song of the Chapter: Sunyshore City (Diamond & Pearl)

* * *

"The boat arrives in a few hours," uttered Kukui. "Feel free to look around the city as much as you like, but be back here for the boat to Ula'ula."

As Kukui's former Pokémon School students began looking around, Serena found herself talking with Lana, Mallow, and Lillie.

"So Ash and I sort of talked last night," uttered Serena. "He seems happy to see me."

"That's good," replied Lana. "Maybe he does like you."

"Probably," replied Lillie. "Ash can be oblivious sometimes, but he always does what his heart tells him to do. Like rescuing Nebby here."

Nebby, a Pokémon with Ultra Beast origins, poked his head out of Lillie's backpack. However, Lillie looked at him with a dull expression on her face.

"You know the drill," uttered Lillie. "Back in the bag."

* * *

Ash and Serena found themselves walking through the streets of Hau'oli City as they waited for the boat to Ula'ula Island, where the Lanakila Conference was being held.

"City's nice," uttered Serena. "Lots of people and Pokémon here."

"Yeah, Hau'oli is nice," replied Ash. However, as they walked, a man nearly bumped into Serena, causing her to slam into Ash's body.

"Sorry about that," uttered the man. The two teens, clearly embarassed, blushed at each other before resuming their walk down the street.

"I hope I win this time," uttered Ash. "After Kalos, I've got a lot more training and skill."

"Well, you'll have my support," replied Serena. "I know you're capable of winning."

"Thanks Serena," replied Ash. Suddenly, an Oricorio flew towards Serena, nearly brushing her hat off. Its pom-pom-like wings were moving around constantly.

"AAH!" exclaimed Serena. "Though, this Pokémon looks like it could be good for Showcases."

"Catch it then," replied Ash. "That's what I do when I see a battle-capable Pokémon."

"Braixen, head on out!" exclaimed Serena. Braixen emerged from her Poké Ball, twirling around her stick.

"Fire Blast!" exclaimed Serena. Braixen let out a massive burst of flame at Oricorio, dealing immense damage. The Oricorio responded with a swift Air Slash, hitting Braixen with blades of air.

"Hidden Power!" exclaimed Serena as Braixen let out a ball of mysterious energy at Oricorio. The Flying-type continued to hold on, albeit damaged, and retaliated with Double Slap, smacking Braixen several times.

"Flamethrower!" exclaimed Serena as Braixen fired off a blast of fire at Oricorio. Serena then quickly grasped a Poké Ball.

"Alright, let's go!" exclaimed Serena as she tossed the Poké Ball at Oricorio. It shook several times, then clicked shut. Oricorio was caught!

"All right!" exclaimed Serena. Ash simply smiled and nodded in acknowledgement of the capture.

* * *

The group found themselves on the boat to Ula'ula, sailing through the ocean. The boat was a bit small, but it was capable of taking everyone. Ash found himself sitting with Kiawe and Sophocles while Serena was talking to Mallow, Lillie, and Lana.

"Please tell me you're not that dense," uttered Kiawe. Ash merely showed an expression of shock.

"Uh, what are you talking about?" replied Ash.

"Serena clearly likes you," whispered Sophocles. "Why else would she come to Alola?"

Ash blushed slightly, with Pikachu noticing immediately. Fortunately, Serena didn't notice.

"Look, I do like her," whispered Ash. "Maybe more than that. I'm just looking for the right time to confess."

"I heard something about a kiss when you two were in Kalos," replied Kiawe. "That true?"

"Well, yeah..." whispered Ash. "She sorta kissed me as she went down the escalator in the Lumiose airport."

"That's pretty romantic," replied Sophocles. Meanwhile, Serena was chatting with Lana, Mallow, and Lillie.

"So I ended up colliding with Ash when a passerby was in our way!" squealed Serena, though at a volume where Ash couldn't hear.

"No way," replied Mallow. "That's so cute!"

"You guys are cute together," replied Lillie. "Though I don't know if Ash feels the same way."

"Well, he did blush when it happened..." replied Serena in a cheeky voice.

* * *

These two are too cute together. Also, I plan to have all of Ash's Pokémon get some focus, especially those that haven't won many battles. I do have his A-team planned out already.


	5. Chapter 4: Ascending the Mountain

I'm having a lot of fun writing this, and it seems as if this story is getting more attention than my last two.

Song of the Chapter: Victory Road (Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire)

* * *

"Mount Lanakila," uttered Ash. "The site of the Lanakila Conference."

The group stood at the base of the mountain, as it towered over the landscape. You couldn't be on Ula'ula Island without seeing it.

"It's tradition for those who have completed the island challenge to walk up the mountain," uttered Professor Kukui. Ash suddenly showed an expression of shock.

"Well, that's something I'm prepared to do!" exclaimed Ash. "You guys can take the bus up. I'll walk."

As Ash split away from the group, Serena walked up to him.

"I want to go with you," uttered Serena. Ash smiled slightly in response.

"Well, don't keep me waiting," replied Ash. "Let's go."

* * *

"We have new orders for you," uttered Giovanni via a hologram. "No more going after that kid's Pikachu."

"But boss, that's all we've been doing for the last four years!" replied Meowth in anger.

"Silence Meowth!" exclaimed Giovanni. "I want you three to start collecting Z-Power from the Ultra Wormholes in Alola. We'll need it for our next big operation."

"Yes sir," replied James as the hologram turned off. The three Team Rocket members began to grab stolen Aether Foundation equipment and walked out of the cave they were in.

* * *

The temperature around Mount Lanakila was getting colder. Yet, Ash and Serena were still making their way up the mountain.

"You didn't have to come," uttered Ash. "Temperature's far too cold."

"It's fine," replied Serena. "Better than being stuck in a bus."

Ash chuckled slightly, and looked around. The view was incredible, and you could even see parts of Alola's other three islands.

"Do I tell him?" thought Serena. "Or do I wait until later?"

Serena had been experiencing stress for the last few days over her love for Ash. She knew she wanted to be with him, but couldn't decide when to confess.

"Something on your mind?" asked Ash. Serena gulped slightly.

"Just thinking about stuff," replied Serena. "The snow does remind me of that little argument we had back in Kalos near Snowbelle City."

"Yeah, looking back, I was a jerk then," replied Ash. "Don't want to repeat my mistakes around you again."

Serena blushed, but Ash didn't notice.

"I missed you when I was in Hoenn," replied Serena. Ash briefly blushed, but held it back.

"Yeah, I missed you too," replied Ash. "But it's always good to reunite with people you've known for a long time."

Serena began to think about Ash's wording there. Did the fact that he didn't use the word "friend" imply that she was more than that to him?

"Look!" exclaimed Ash. Two Pokémon, a Crabominable and an Alolan Ninetales, emerged from a nearby patch of grass, snarling at the two Trainers.

"We'll take them together," replied Ash. "Lycanroc, let's go!"

Ash's Lycanroc, in its Midday Form, landed swiftly on the ground, howling.

"Milotic, head on out!" exclaimed Serena. Her Milotic hit the ground, thrashing its tail. The Crabominable immediately charged at Lycanroc, hitting it with a swift Brick Break. Lycanroc howled in pain, but held on.

"Use Accelerock on Ninetales!" exclaimed Ash. Lycanroc slammed into Ninetales with the strength of a boulder, dealing heavy damage. Ninetales responded by using Moonblast on Milotic.

"Use Hydro Pump on Crabominable!" exclaimed Serena. Milotic blasted Crabominable with a massive blast of water, dealing immense damage. Crabominable responded by using Dizzy Punch on Milotic, dealing quite a bit of damage.

"Use Stone Edge on Ninetales!" exclaimed Ash. Massive stone stalagmites rose out of the ground, with several of them hitting the Ninetales and knocking it out. Crabominable, out of fear, ran off.

"That was intense," uttered Ash as he returned Lycanroc to his Poké Ball. Serena did the same to her Milotic.

"Yeah, quite an intense battle," replied Serena.

* * *

"Look, we all know those two like each other," uttered Kiawe. "Should we do something to get them together?"

Kiawe was talking with the other former Pokémon School graduates in the bus, as he could tell that everyone knew about Ash and Serena liking each other.

"I say we see what happens," replied Mallow. "It'll make things more interesting."

"No, I think we should drop hints," replied Sophocles.

"We should just let them do it at their own pace," replied Lillie.

* * *

Ash and Serena neared the end of the path, though it was getting slippery.

"So yeah, I can't wait to compete in the conference," uttered Ash. "It's gonna be fun."

As they walked, Serena slipped slightly, nearing the edge of the mountain. Fortunately, Ash grabbed her hand and helped her back up.

"Thanks..." uttered Serena as she blushed immensely. Ash, too, also felt something when it happened.

* * *

I enjoyed this chapter quite a bit. Regarding Team Rocket, they're having their own side plot that you'll see bits of. Anyways, see you soon!


	6. Chapter 5: Old Friends

This chapter's quite an important one. Also, Team Rocket isn't doing anything relevant to Ash and Serena's story. What they're doing is setting up the plot for my last two stories, which this story is a prequel to.

Song of the Chapter: Pokémon League (Diamond & Pearl)

* * *

"Ash Ketchum is eligible to compete in the Lanakila Conference," uttered an computer as it scanned Ash's Pokédex, which was inhabited by Rotom. "You'll be staying in Cabin C-52."

The Rotom Dex flew away from the computer as it levitated near Ash and the rest of the group. The peak of Mount Lanakila wasn't as cold as the area leading up to it, with a massive stadium in the center. Surrounding the stadiums were Pokémon Centers and hotels, as well as cabins for competing Trainers.

"I'm gonna head over to my cabin and get settled," uttered Ash. As he walked away, Serena approached him.

"I couldn't book a hotel room, so do you mind if I stay with you?" asked Serena. In reality, she was lying, and just wanted to be closer to Ash.

"Sure," replied Ash. "Besides, there's an extra bed in the room anyways."

"Thank you Ash!" exclaimed Serena in joy. As the two of them walked to the cabin, they were approached by Gladion and Hau.

"So, you made it," uttered Gladion. He stood in his usual jacket, and seemed more friendly than usual.

"Yeah, it's good to see you Ash," uttered Hau. "Say, who might you be?"

"My name's Serena," replied Serena. "I'm a friend of Ash's who came to Alola to see him compete in the Lanakila Conference."

"Well, good to meet you Serena," replied Gladion. "Anyways, Ash, I hope we battle in the conference."

"Yeah, best of luck to both of you," replied Ash.

* * *

"Boss, we've managed to collect two tanks' worth of Z-Power," uttered Jessie. "But this is a tedious job for three individuals."

"Well, you'll be pleased to know that I've hired some rogue Aether Foundation scientists to assist you," replied Giovanni. "They're based in the Wela Volcano Park on Akala Island. They know how to work with Ultra Wormholes and Z-Power."

"We'll head over there immediately!" exclaimed James in response.

* * *

As Serena got settled into the cabin, Ash began to contact Professor Oak via the computer in the cabin.

"I see you've made it to the conference," uttered Professor Oak.

"Yeah, the island challenge was great," replied Ash.

"Well, I have someone else here to see you," replied Professor Oak as Ash's mother, Delia, appeared.

"Hi Ash!" exclaimed Delia. Ash, embarassed, smiled in response.

"Hey mom," replied Ash. "How've you been?"

"I've been fine," replied Delia. "Good luck in the conference!"

"Thanks mom," replied Ash.

"Now, who do you want me to transfer over first?" asked Professor Oak. "Also, Squirtle and Primeape are back from their training and ready to be called upon."

"Send everyone over," replied Ash. "They have a few friends of mine to meet."

"Alright then," replied Professor Oak. "Even all of your Tauros?"

Ash chuckled upon hearing that sentence.

"Just send over the leader of the herd," replied Ash.

"Good luck!" exclaimed Professor Oak. As the video call ended, many, many Poké Balls came rolling out of the computer. Ash grabbed them all, and walked outside to the yard near the cabin. Every Trainer's cabin had a fenced-off area for their Pokémon, and in Ash's case, an exceptionally large one due to the number of Pokémon he's caught.

"So you've transferred over everyone?" asked Serena.

"Yep," replied Ash. As he finished his sentence, Lana, Mallow, Lillie, Sophocles, Kiawe, and Professor Kukui arrived.

"Settled in?" asked Professor Kukui. Ash nodded before throwing his Poké Balls into the air, sending out all of his Pokémon. Immediately, most of them ran in his direction in happiness. To say the least, Muk squished him, Bayleef trampled him, Donphan charged at him, and most of his other Pokémon came at him. Some, like Snivy and Hawlucha, remained at the sidelines, simply smiling at Ash. His Alolan Pokémon were quick to socialize with the others as well.

"You have a LOT of Pokémon," uttered Mallow. "Lots of different types too."

"Well, I have been to six other regions plus the Orange Islands before," replied Ash.

"Now let's see how they interact with our Pokémon!" exclaimed Serena as she threw out her Poké Balls. The other Trainers would do the same, and all of the Pokémon would have a gathering of sorts. Yet, Ash's Sceptile locked gazes with Serena's Sceptile, as both Pokémon looked at each other fondly.

"I think your two Sceptiles like each other," uttered Sophocles. Ash and Serena both blushed, though in reality, they were both incredibly happy by this fact.

"Huh," replied Ash. "Well, Pokémon can get affectionate. Remember Clemont's Chespin and your Sylveon?"

"Heh, yeah," replied Serena. As the gathering continued, the two Sceptiles talked for a bit, and seemed happy when chatting.

* * *

The opening ceremony of the Lanakila Conference begun, with Ash, Serena, and the rest of the former Pokémon School students in the crowd as the torch was being lit.

"Welcome to the first Lanakila Conference!" exclaimed Professor Kukui, who was the one responsible for bringing the Pokémon League system to Alola in the first place. "This conference will determine Alola's first regional champion!"

The crowd cheered in response, including Ash and his friends.

"The battle structure is simple," uttered Kukui. "Each battle will be three on three until the semifinals, when it'll switch to six on six. In addition, each battle will have a unique battlefield that'll force Trainers to switch their tactics."

"Sounds like the Lumiose Conference," Ash thought.

"Anyways, here's the first round of battles," uttered Kukui. "They start tomorrow."

The jumbotron in the stadium began to display the first set of matchups. Ash saw that he was against a Trainer with a black hoodie and sunglasses.

"Now get a good rest and get ready," replied Kukui. "And most importantly, good luck."

* * *

As Ash sat in the cabin, he began browsing his emails through Rotom.

"You've got a lot of emails from friends," uttered Rotom.

"Yeah," replied Ash. He tapped on the first one, bringing it up on the screen.

* * *

 _Hey Ash! Good luck in the conference! Hopefully you won't forget what you learned from us!_

 _-Brock_

Ash smiled, knowing that Brock was watching. He continued to look through the emails.

* * *

 _Hey, good luck man._

 _-Gary_

* * *

 _I'm rooting for you!_

 _-Misty_

* * *

 _Hopefully you learned some skills from Hoenn! Good luck!_

 _-May_

 _P.S: Say hi to Serena for me. :)_

* * *

 _Best of luck._

 _-Max_

* * *

 _Don't give up! I'm rooting for you!_

 _-Dawn_

* * *

 _Hopefully you'll win in the way Tobias didn't. And I mean fairly. Good luck._

 _-Paul_

* * *

 _Use everything you've learned! The three of us are rooting for you!_

 _-Cilan_

* * *

 _Looks like you're not a kid anymore. Good luck._

 _-Iris_

* * *

 _Hey, I know you can do it. Good luck._

 _-Trip_

* * *

 _The future is NOW thanks to determination! Ash, we're supporting you all the way!_

 _-Clemont and Bonnie_

* * *

 _We're all watching the conference from Kalos. Good luck!_

 _-Shauna, Tierno, and Trevor_

* * *

 _You motivated me to become stronger than ever. Hopefully I can do the same._

 _-Sawyer_

* * *

 _Don't give up. We're here to support you all the way._

 _-Alain and Mairin_

* * *

 _I know we're sitting in the same room, but I just want you to know that I'm never going to stop believing in you._

 _-Serena_

Ash blushed slightly as he read that last email. Was he ready to confess? Not yet. Did he love Serena? Yes. For now, he had to sleep in preparation for his first battle.

* * *

What a chapter. Anyways, see you soon!


	7. Chapter 6: First Victory

Alright, next chapter! By the way, if you're interested in that kind of stuff, Serena's outfit is based on that of the female protagonist in Sun & Moon to go with Ash having the male protagonist's outfit. Anyways, let's get started.

Song of the Chapter: Battle! Zinnia (Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire)

* * *

Ash walked into the stadium, with the crowd cheering. His first battle of the Lanakila Conference was about to begin. Pikachu sat on his shoulder, watching his surroundings. For this battle, Ash had chosen Pikachu, Torterra, and Talonflame for his team. Pikachu would be capable of balancing offenses with speed, with his Electric typing leaving him with a single weakness. Torterra could withstand many attacks and was capable of dishing out immense damage. And Talonflame could move incredibly fast while also punishing anyone in his way.

"I'm ready," thought Ash.

* * *

Serena sat in the crowd alongside Lana, Lillie, and Mallow, preparing to watch the battle. She looked fondly at Ash, blushing a dark shade of scarlet.

"You really like him, don't you?" asked Lana.

"Well, yeah," replied Serena.

"How much does Ash mean to you exactly?" asked Lillie. "We never asked."

"Well, he has so much energy for life," replied Serena. "He just has this optimistic attitude that I admire so much, and he just cares about everyone he knows. Plus, we first met at a summer camp in Kanto, where he helped me out after I hurt my knee and got lost in a forest. And don't get me started on our bonding in Kalos. He's just great in so many ways."

"Well, if you care about him that much, I'm sure that he'll feel the same way," replied Lana.

* * *

"The battle between Ash Ketchum and Brian Wade will now begin!" exclaimed the announcer. "No substitutions, and each Trainer will use three Pokémon! The battlefield for this battle will be a Grass-type battlefield."

A forest rose out of the ground, full of trees for cover.

"You're the kid from the Kalos League finals last year, right?" uttered Brian. "If so, you're in for one heck of a battle."

"You're right," replied Ash."Talonflame, I choose you!"

Talonflame flew out of his Poké Ball, flapping its wings constantly.

"Cofagrigus, you're up!" exclaimed Brian. Cofagrigus emerged from its Poké Ball, tossing its arms around.

"Flame Charge!" exclaimed Ash. Talonflame charged at Cofagrigus while cloaked in flames, pinning it to a tree. The fire spread to the tree, burning it up.

"Shadow Ball!" exclaimed Brian. Cofagrigus let out a ball of shadowy energy, hitting Talonflame hard.

"Steel Wing!" exclaimed Ash. Talonflame slammed Cofagrigus with a wing as hard as iron, dealing heavy damage. Yet, Cofagrigus held on.

"Toxic!" exclaimed Brian. Cofagrigus drenched Talonflame in a poisonous liquid.

"Fight through it and use Flare Blitz!" exclaimed Ash. Talonflame drenched itself in fire, before charging at Cofagrigus in a massive fiery explosion. The debris eventually cleared to reveal a knocked-out Cofagrigus.

"Looks like Cofagrigus is down, leaving the score at 3-2!" exclaimed the announcer. The crowd began to cheer, especially Serena.

"You can do it Ash," thought Serena.

"Cofagrigus, return," uttered Brian. "Toxapex, you're next!"

Toxapex landed on the ground, remaining in place.

"Hit Toxapex with a nice Brave Bird!" exclaimed Ash. Talonflame charged at Toxapex, dealing immense damage.

"Scald!" exclaimed Brian. Toxapex fired off a blast of water at Talonflame, dealing heavy damage.

"Flame Charge!" exclaimed Ash. Talonflame hit Toxapex hard with a full-on headbutt while cloaked in flames, dishing out quite a bit of damage.

"Venoshock!" exclaimed Brian. Toxapex covered Talonflame with a poisonous liquid, which knocked him out of the sky thanks to the double damage from Cofagrigus's Toxic earlier.

"Talonflame's done, leaving the score at 2-2!" exclaimed the announcer. Serena gulped slightly, but still had confidence in Ash's abilities.

"Talonflame, rest up," uttered Ash. "Pikachu, your turn."

Pikachu jumped off of Ash's shoulder, smiling.

"Scald!" exclaimed Brian. Toxapex fired a blast of boiling hot water at Pikachu, dealing heavy damage.

"Electro Ball!" exclaimed Ash. Pikachu charged up a ball of electricity on his tail, before tossing it at Toxapex. The Poison-type reeled in pain, but held on.

"Venoshock!" exclaimed Brian. Toxapex let out a blast of poisonous liquid at Pikachu, dealing heavy damage.

"Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Ash. Pikachu charged up a blast of electricity, before unleashing it at Toxapex for immense damage.

"Scald!" exclaimed Brian. Toxapex hit Pikachu with another blast of water.

"Finish this with Quick Attack!" exclaimed Ash. Pikachu dashed at Toxapex, colliding at breakneck speed. Toxapex fell to the ground, knocked out.

"Toxapex is knocked out!" exclaimed the announcer. "That leaves the score at 2-1!"

"Toxapex, have a nice rest," uttered Brian. "Rhyperior, finish this."

Rhyperior slammed into the ground, before pushing his fists together.

"Iron Tail!" exclaimed Ash. Pikachu slashed Rhyperior with a tail as hard as steel, dealing heavy damage.

"Stone Edge!" exclaimed Brian. Rhyperior hit Pikachu with pillars of hard rock, dealing immense damage.

"Shatter the pillars with Iron Tail!" exclaimed Ash. Pikachu slashed the pillars with his tail, sending debris everywhere.

"Counter with Earthquake!" exclaimed Brian. Rhyperior slammed the ground countless times, sending shards of rock everywhere while damaging Pikachu, who was hit by both the ground itself and pieces of rock. Although wounded, Pikachu held on.

"Quick Attack!" exclaimed Ash. Pikachu dashed at Rhyperior as quickly as he could.

"Fire Punch," uttered Brian smugly. Rhyperior hit Pikachu with a flaming fist, sending him across the battlefield and knocking him out.

"Pikachu!" exclaimed Ash as he rushed over to Pikachu, holding him in his arms. Serena, in the crowd, was worried, but remained sitting calmly.

"Pikachu's been knocked out, leaving the score at 1-1!" exclaimed the announcer. "Whoever wins this battle advances to the next stage of the Lanakila Conference!"

As Ash put Pikachu's body down so he could rest, he thought about how best to deal with Rhyperior. Torterra had the type advantage, yes, but Rhyperior also knew Fire Punch. Yet, Rhyperior had one weakness: mobility. As a Turtwig, Torterra was capable of attacking swiftly. Yet, he lost his speed over time and became easier to deal with. However, Rhyperior was much slower than Torterra, and Ash could exploit this.

"Torterra, it's all on you!" exclaimed Ash. Torterra slammed into the ground swiftly, nodding at Ash.

"Stone Edge!" exclaimed Brian. Stone stalagmites rose out of the ground, hitting Torterra hard.

"Use Rock Climb to gain the high ground!" exclaimed Ash. Torterra dashed on top of one of the stalagmites, towering over Rhyperior.

"Fire Punch!" exclaimed Brian. Rhyperior jumped into the air, preparing to hit Torterra.

"Counter with Earthquake!" exclaimed Ash. Torterra smashed the stone stalagmite he was on top of, sending shards of rock at Rhyperior.

"Follow up with Energy Ball!" exclaimed Ash. A ball of natural energies was fired off by Torterra, dishing out immense damage to Rhyperior.

"Brick Break!" exclaimed Brian. Rhyperior hit Torterra with a swift karate chop, dealing heavy damage.

"Finish this with Leaf Storm!" exclaimed Ash. Torterra let out a flurry of leaves from the tree on his back, hitting Rhyperior with many of them. The Rock-type fell to the ground, fainted.

"You did it Torterra!" exclaimed Ash as he hugged him. In reality, this had been Torterra's first victory in his fully evolved form outside of a battle with Team Rocket.

"And it looks like Ash Ketchum wins and advances to the next stage of the conference!" exclaimed the announcer. Serena was cheering constantly, as were the other spectators.

* * *

In the lobby of the stadium, reporters were bombarding Ash, demanding an interview. As he left them, Rotom appeared.

"You got an email from the Lanakila Conference's administration," uttered Rotom. Ash immediately went to read it.

* * *

 _Dear Ash Ketchum,_

 _We'd like to congratulate you for your first win in the conference. As a thank-you for participating, we'd like to give you two free coupons for a free sushi platter at the Sushi High Roller Restaurant in Malie City, for you and a friend or significant other._

 _-The Lanakila Conference Administration_

* * *

Ash blushed slightly upon seeing that he got two free coupons. Seeing as he was hungry, he'd probably go tonight. But who would he go with?

"Hey, congratulations," uttered Serena as she walked up to Ash alongside the others.

"Thanks Serena," replied Ash. He seemed nervous, but knew what he was about to do.

"Listen, I was emailed two free coupons for dinner at the Sushi High Roller restaurant, and I was wondering if you wanted to take the second coupon and go with me tonight," uttered Ash as he gulped slightly. Serena immediately blushed slightly, while tearing up a bit. Was Ash asking her on a date?

"I'd love to go," replied Serena with a massive grin on her face.

* * *

No, the confession isn't next chapter. This is just buildup to it. It'll be much later.


	8. Chapter 7: The Date

Romance chapter.

Song of the Chapter: Azoth (Omega Ruby & Alpha Sapphire)

* * *

"Pikachu, I'll only be gone for a few hours," uttered Ash at his cabin. "Wish me luck."

Pikachu waved goodbye to his Trainer as he walked into the fenced-off area near Ash's cabin. Many of Ash and Serena's Pokémon were resting and socializing here, including their two Sceptiles, who seemed to be socializing quite a bit.

* * *

"Welcome to the Sushi High Roller Restaurant," uttered a server.

"Table for two please," uttered Ash. "I have two coupons."

"Ah, right this way," replied the server. Ash and Serena sat down at a table in the central area of the restaurant. The room was a bit dark, with only a candle in the center of the table providing some light.

"So, thanks for coming with me," uttered Ash. "I figured tonight would be a good way to celebrate my first victory and you coming to Alola."

"Thanks," replied Serena as she blushed heavily. When Ash first asked her to come with him to the restaurant, she was ecstatic. Although neither of them had confessed yet, this "dinner date" could lead to a confession.

"So, um, have you ever done something like this before?" asked Serena. "With someone close to you?"

"Besides you, no," replied Ash. "I just thought that using those two coupons would be a wise choice."

"Ah, ok," replied Serena. She was happy to hear that Ash had never been on a dinner date before, but was still nervous.

* * *

Ash and Serena's Sceptiles were continuing to talk, happy as ever. However, it was getting late, and they began to sleep on the ground, cuddled up with each other. Upon seeing this, Pikachu felt a sense of happiness for both Ash and Serena, as if their Pokémon were close, then they could get close too.

* * *

"So then, I had Braixen use Fire Spin on the block of ice Milotic created, and finished with a Leaf Blade from Sceptile to shatter it!" exclaimed Serena as she recounted one of her Contest performances in Alola.

"That's amazing," replied Ash. "I did try Contests when I was in Hoenn and Sinnoh, but it wasn't my thing."

"Yeah, I've always seen you as a battler," replied Serena. "You're skilled at it too."

"Thanks," replied Ash. "But you should've seen how I did at my first conference."

"Huh?" replied Serena. "You weren't always this good?"

"Nope," replied Ash. "Back then, my Charizard wasn't that obedient, and took a nap in the middle of the battle while knowing that it could defeat my opponent's Pokémon at any point. I wasn't always a capable Trainer you know."

"Rough start," replied Serena. "But I'm sure that you got better over time."

"I did, but I've only won in the Orange Islands and in Kanto's Battle Frontier," replied Ash. "Even then, those aren't full-blown Pokémon Leagues. But I keep trying anyways. You know my saying: never give up until it's over."

Serena blushed slightly upon hearing those words. It was the phrase that made her think of Ash. The phrase that made her fall in love with him in the first place.

"I've got two medium sushi platters here," uttered the waiter as he came to Ash and Serena's table. "Enjoy."

Ash and Serena began to dig into their food, with Ash going for the eel first.

"Eel's always been a favorite of mine," uttered Ash. Yet, as he swallowed the eel, he began to choke on it, as he hadn't chewed it enough.

"ASH!" exclaimed Serena. Quickly, she wrapped her arms around his chest, performing abdominal thrusts to get the eel out of his throat. Eventually, Ash coughed it up onto the table, before letting out a wheezing cough.

"You okay?" asked Serena. She didn't notice that her arms were still wrapped around Ash, holding him tightly out of fear.

"I'm good," replied Ash. He then hugged Serena tightly. "Thank you."

Serena blushed a dark shade of scarlet, but Ash didn't see. The two of them then sat down at the table together.

* * *

Some time later, Ash and Serena found themselves walking through Malie City, towards the bus stop so they could get a bus back to their cabin. However, Ash began to spot a green light coming from a nearby cave, a green light that he...recognized.

"Let's check that out," uttered Ash.

"You sure?" replied Serena. "You could get hurt again..."

Serena was concerned for Ash's safety after the eel incident, and didn't want him to get hurt again.

"It'll be fine," replied Ash. As they entered the cave, it seemed fairly small.

"Greetings Ketchum," uttered a voice. "It's been a while."

Squishy emerged from the cave in his 50% Forme, much to the surprise of Ash and Serena. Many Zygarde cells were on the nearby ground as well.

"Squishy!" exclaimed Ash. "What are you doing in Alola?"

"Team Flare's been dealt with," uttered Squishy. "But after the whole Ultra Beast incident here, we've decided to come to Alola and ensure that the ecosystem here is stable."

"Yeah, the whole Ultra Beast thing has affected Alola considerably," replied Ash.

"One more thing," replied Squishy. "There's someone here who wants to return to your side."

Greninja suddenly leapt in front of Ash, from behind Squishy. Ash began to tear up slightly, and held onto Greninja in a tight hug. Serena watched the two of them reunite happily, with tears in her eyes.

"You're back," uttered Ash. "You're really back!"

"Greninja's work with us is done," uttered Squishy. "He requested to return to your side."

"Well, welcome back," replied Ash. He then pulled out Greninja's Poké Ball, which he had been saving for a situation like this. Greninja happily hit the Poké Ball, and went inside, before it clicked shut.

* * *

As Ash and Serena returned to the cabin, they saw their two Sceptiles sleeping together. Blushing intensely, they went inside the cabin to find Pikachu waiting for them.

"Greninja came back," uttered Ash. Pikachu, ecstatic, let out a happy "Pika!" noise.

Eventually, Ash found himself sitting in bed, with Serena in her bed as well.

"I had fun tonight," uttered Serena. "Thanks."

"No problem," replied Ash. "Let's do it again sometime."

Serena blushed, knowing that Ash was willing to go out with her again. Did he like her? Serena wouldn't know.

* * *

I've been planning for Greninja to return before I even started this story, because he will be on Ash's A-Team for the finals. Feel free to guess who else will be on that team too. Anyways, see you soon!


	9. Chapter 8: Bond Phenomenon's Back

Alright, it's time for Greninja to make his comeback. Also, regarding the reveal of Dusk Lycanroc, I'm changing Ash's Lycanroc to that form to reflect the upcoming anime episode.

Song of the Chapter: Battle! Trainer (Black & White)

* * *

Serena sat in the crowd of the stadium, anticipating the battle. She knew Ash was bringing back Greninja, but didn't know the rest of his team. As Serena continued to gaze at Ash in admiration, her Oricorio emerged from its Poké Ball and began shaking her pom-pom-like wings around, as if it wanted to cheer on Ash.

"Oricorio, smart idea!" uttered Serena. Meanwhile, Sophocles and Kiawe were talking with Professor Kukui.

"Smart idea to give out those sushi coupons," uttered Sophocles. "Did he know it was you?"

"I just said it was the administration," replied Kukui. "Hopefully those two will eventually get together by the time that the conference is over."

* * *

"The battle between Ash Ketchum and Linda Fields will now begin!" exclaimed the announcer. "Each Trainer gets three Pokémon, and no substitutions! The battlefield for this battle will be a Fire-type battlefield."

A volcanic battlefield emerged from the center, with Ash and Linda walking onto it.

"So you're from Kanto then," uttered Linda. "Let's see if you can tackle my team."

"Oh, it's on," replied Ash. "Donphan, I choose you!"

Donphan slammed into the ground, letting out a triumphant roar.

"Darmanitan, let's go!" exclaimed Linda. Darmanitan hit the ground, pounding his chest with his fists.

"Defense Curl!" exclaimed Ash. Donphan curled up his body into a defensive form, reducing damage taken.

"Fire Punch!" exclaimed Linda. Darmanitan rushed towards Donphan, hitting him with a fist covered in flames.

"Rollout!" exclaimed Ash. Using Defense Curl's ball-like structure, Donphan rolled towards Darmanitan, smashing into him with immense force. The Rock typing caused the attack to deal vicious damage.

"Grass Knot!" exclaimed Linda. Darmanitan created a vine of sorts that tripped up Donphan, dealing quite a bit of damage.

"Hyper Beam!" exclaimed Ash. Donphan let out a massive beam of energy that hit Darmanitan hard. Yet, he held on somehow.

"Fire Punch!" exclaimed Linda. Darmanitan dashed at Donphan once again with a flaming fist.

"Counter with Defense Curl!" exclaimed Ash. Donphan rolled up his body again to counter the attack, knocking away Darmanitan.

"Now follow up with Rollout!" exclaimed Ash. Donphan rolled at Darmanitan once again, knocking him out.

"Darmanitan's down, leaving the score at 3-2!" exclaimed the announcer. Ash cheered, but knew there was more to come.

"Darmanitan, return," uttered Linda. "Cacturne, you're up."

Cacturne crashed into the ground, grinning sinisterly at Donphan.

"Take Down!" exclaimed Ash. Donphan charged at Cacturne with immense force.

"Counter with Spiky Shield!" exclaimed Linda. Cacturne blocked the hit with the spikes on its body, while also damaging Donphan.

"Defense Curl!" exclaimed Ash. Donphan curled up his body again to reduce damage taken.

"Energy Ball!" exclaimed Linda. Cacturne fired a ball of natural energies at Donphan, dealing heavy damage.

"Rollout!" exclaimed Ash. Donphan rolled across the battlefield at Cacturne, knocking it a fair distance.

"Dark Pulse," uttered Linda smugly. Cacturne let out a blast of malicious energies that hit Donphan hard and sealed his fate.

"Donphan's unable to battle, tying up the score at 2-2!" exclaimed the announcer. Ash checked Donphan for injuries, but he seemed to be fine.

"Donphan, return," uttered Ash. "Staraptor, let's go!"

Staraptor flew into the sky, flapping his wings constantly.

"Knock Staraptor out of the sky with Dark Pulse!" exclaimed Linda as Cacturne fired off a blast of shadowy energy at Staraptor.

"Dodge it and use Brave Bird!" exclaimed Ash. Staraptor did a quick roll to the side to avoid the Dark Pulse, before swooping down at Cacturne with a full-on tackle from the sky.

"Energy Ball!" exclaimed Linda. Cacturne let out a powerful ball of natural energies that dealt quite a bit of damage to Staraptor.

"Close Combat!" exclaimed Ash. Staraptor lunged at Cacturne, smashing it with his wings and feet.

"Hidden Power!" exclaimed Linda. Cacturne let out a ball of mysterious energy that hit Staraptor hard, and for plenty of damage.

"Finish this with Aerial Ace!" exclaimed Ash. Staraptor slashed Cacturne with his wing by attacking from above, knocking it out.

"Cacturne's done for, which leaves the score at 2-1!" exclaimed the announcer.

"Cacturne, rest up," uttered Linda. "Froslass, finish this!"

Froslass emerged from her Poké Ball, floating over the battlefield.

"Brave Bird!" exclaimed Ash. Staraptor lunged at Froslass for immense damage, hitting her fragile Ice-type body.

"Ice Beam!" exclaimed Linda. Froslass let out a beam of ice-cold energy at Staraptor, dealing vicious damage.

"Aerial Ace!" exclaimed Ash. Staraptor hit Froslass with a wing strike, but was beginning to be worn down by the battle.

"Psychic!" exclaimed Linda as Froslass hit Staraptor with telekinetic energy.

"Give it all you've got with Brave Bird!" exclaimed Ash. Staraptor lunged at Froslass once again.

"Ice Beam," uttered Linda. Before Staraptor could land the hit, Froslass hit him with another beam of frozen energy.

"Staraptor has been taken down, leaving the score at 1-1!" exclaimed the announcer. "This battle will decide who's advancing to the next stage, and who's returning home."

As Ash returned Staraptor to his Poké Ball, he began to grasp Greninja's as Pikachu looked on in happiness. As Ash looked around the crowd, he saw Serena cheering him on alongside her Oricorio. Ash blushed slightly before getting ready.

"Greninja, it's all or nothing!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja leapt from his Poké Ball, nodding at Ash as he landed.

"Ice Beam!" exclaimed Froslass. As Froslass hit Greninja with the Ice Beam, Ash felt his and Greninja's heartbeats syncing.

"Alright, it's time!" exclaimed Ash. "Stronger, stronger, STRONGER!"

Greninja transformed into his Ash-Greninja form, preparing to bring the battle to an end.

"Water Shuriken!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja produced a massive Water Shuriken, before tossing it at Froslass for immense damage.

"Shadow Ball!" exclaimed Linda. Froslass struck Greninja with a ball of shadowy energy, but Greninja shrugged it off. Ash felt some of the pain too, but Greninja's Dark typing helped resist it.

"Dark Pulse!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja produced a blast of malicious energies, striking Froslass hard.

"Ice Beam!" exclaimed Linda. Greninja was struck by ice-cold energy again, with Ash feeling the icy pain.

"Double Team!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja produced multiple copies of himself as they dashed around Froslass, mesmerizing her.

"Use Shadow Ball to find the real Greninja!" exclaimed Linda. Froslass fired off a Shadow Ball, but it didn't hit the real Greninja.

"Now finish this with Water Shuriken!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja let out a gigantic shuriken made of pure water, before knocking out Froslass with it.

"And Froslass is finished!" exclaimed the announcer. "Which means Ash wins the battle and advances to the next stage of the conference!"

Ash cheered, hugging Greninja tightly. As he exited the battlefield, he quickly found Serena and the others sitting nearby.

"You did great!" exclaimed Serena. "Greninja seems to have become stronger than ever!"

"Yeah, he did seem more powerful," replied Ash.

* * *

Late that night, Ash found himself watching his Pokémon train and socialize from inside the cabin. He knew he had made it far in the conference, but when would he be taken out?

And more importantly, when would he confess to Serena?

Ash knew that he loved her. Her personality, her support for him, and her charm. He couldn't deny it. Yet, the stress from the conference was getting to him. He knew that he'd have to confess before Serena left Alola.

"You okay Ash?" asked Serena. "You seem deep in thought."

"Yeah, just thinking about the conference," replied Ash. "There's a lot of tough opponents here."

"I'm sure you'll win this time," replied Serena. "But if you're ever stressed or worried about anything, come talk to me."

"Thanks Serena," replied Ash. "So, I've noticed that our two Sceptiles are getting close."

"Yeah, they seem to really like each other," replied Ash. "Have you ever had that special someone in your life?"

Ash blushed slightly, but Serena fortunately didn't notice.

"Not something I think about often," replied Ash. "But to answer your question, no. I've had lots of friends, but never have I had one really good friend."

"Yeah, I'm still looking too," replied Serena. "But we're friends, right?"

"Don't ask such an obvious question," replied Ash. "I'd even go as far as to say we're more than friends. I've known you for longer than anyone I've met. Even longer than Pikachu."

"Wow, that's incredible," replied Serena. "And I think the same about you."

As Ash looked at Serena, he could tell that she was also having thoughts about him. He needed to break the silence soon.

* * *

And the chapter comes to a close. There's going to be a timeskip to the quarterfinals next chapter, and the confession will be after that. Anyways, see you soon!


	10. Chapter 9: The Masked Royal

Alright, I'm bored, so I'm delivering another chapter. I'm also gonna be ditching the Song of the Chapter concept because it's redundant.

* * *

Ash stood in the stadium yet again, preparing for his next battle. His opponent was someone called the "Masked Royal", who seemed to wear a mask at all times. For this battle, Ash had decided on using Incineroar, Hawlucha, and Sceptile: three of his hardest-hitting Pokémon. He knew that this quarterfinals battle would be tough, but also knew that he had his friends cheering him on, as well as Serena.

* * *

"Good luck Ash," thought Serena. "Hopefully you'll win."

* * *

"The quarterfinals battle between Ash Ketchum and the Masked Royal will now begin!" exclaimed the announcer. "Three-on-three, with no substitutions! The battlefield will be an Ice-type battlefield."

A snowy field emerged from the center of the stadium, with Ash and the Masked Royal walking onto it.

"So, you've made it this far," uttered the Masked Royal. "Good luck. Magnezone! You're up!"

Magnezone floated out of its Poké Ball, letting out an electric spark.

"Incineroar, let's go!" exclaimed Ash. Incineroar slammed into the ground, letting out a defiant roar.

"Thunderbolt!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Magnezone let out a pulse of electricity at Incineroar, dealing immense damage.

"Now, use Flame Charge!" exclaimed Ash. Incineroar dashed at Magnezone, smashing into it with his whole body while simultaneously on fire.

"Flash Cannon!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Magnezone fired a pulse of light energy at Incineroar.

"Dodge it and use Darkest Lariat!" exclaimed Ash. Incineroar leapt out of the way before twisting his arms around in a massive tornado, dishing out heavy damage to Magnezone.

"Thunder Wave!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Magnezone electrocuted Incineroar with a weak electric pulse, paralyzing him.

"Fight through it and use Bulk Up!" exclaimed Ash. Incineroar tightened its focus, raising his attack power.

"Thunderbolt!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Magnezone let out another round of electricity.

"Dodge it and use Flame Charge!" exclaimed Ash. Incineroar leapt away from the electricity, before dashing at Magnezone and hitting him with a full-body tackle, sealing his fate.

"Magnezone couldn't handle that Flame Charge," uttered the announcer. "Which leaves the score at 3-2!"

"Magnezone, return," uttered the Masked Royal. "Snorlax, let's go!"

Snorlax crashed into the ground, getting into a defensive stance. Ash, intrigued, decided to go for an offensive battling style against Snorlax, as he had one himself and knew how to counter it.

"Darkest Lariat!" exclaimed Ash. Incineroar lashed out at Snorlax with both of his arms, dishing out quite a bit of damage.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Snorlax leapt into the air and hit Incineroar with his whole body.

"Bulk Up!" exclaimed Ash. Incineroar began to strengthen his muscles again, preparing for the next attack.

"Earthquake!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Snorlax began jumping on the ground constantly, dishing out immense damage to Incineroar.

"Flame Charge!" exclaimed Ash.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. The two Pokémon charged at each other, but Snorlax's bulk allowed him to knock out Incineroar.

"Incineroar is down, leaving the score at 2-2!" exclaimed the announcer. Ash teared up slightly, but knew that the battle was far from over.

"Incineroar, rest up," uttered Ash. "Hawlucha, you can do it!"

Hawlucha swiftly jumped out of his Poké Ball, landing in a strong-willed fighting stance. He had entered the battle wearing the wrestling suit Serena made for Hawlucha during the Kalos League, much to her surprise. Serena found herself blushing at the idea that Ash decided to use the suit again.

"Use High Jump Kick!" exclaimed Ash. Hawlucha dashed at Snorlax, before propelling him into the air with a powerful kick. Snorlax was dazed and confused, unable to fight back.

"Now use Brick Break to send him to the ground!" exclaimed Ash. Hawlucha slammed Snorlax with his fist, sending him crashing into the icy battlefield.

"Body Slam!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Snorlax leapt into the air once again, pinning down Hawlucha.

"X-Scissor!" exclaimed Ash. Hawlucha slashed Snorlax with both of his arms, dealing heavy damage.

"Heavy Slam!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Snorlax smashed into Hawlucha with all of his weight, dishing out heavy damage.

"High Jump Kick again!" exclaimed Ash. Hawlucha launched Snorlax into the sky with another kick.

"Now use Flying Press to finish this!" exclaimed Ash. Hawlucha leapt into the air, before crashing down onto Snorlax and knocking him out.

"That was a nice takedown by Hawlucha!" exclaimed the announcer. "And the score is now 2-1!"

"Snorlax, return," uttered the Masked Royal. "Lycanroc, let's finish this."

Lycanroc leapt from the Masked Royal's Poké Ball, in its Midday Forme. It howled at the sky before turning to face Hawlucha.

"Brick Break!" exclaimed Ash. Hawlucha slashed at Lycanroc with his fist, dishing out heavy damage.

"Accelerock!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Lycanroc charged at Hawlucha with a powerful headbutt, sending him flying.

"X-Scissor!" exclaimed Ash. Hawlucha slashed at Lycanroc with both arms, knocking him a fair distance.

"Stone Edge!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Lycanroc let out massive stone pillars that hit Hawlucha hard.

"Use High Jump Kick to attack Lycanroc and get up onto one of the pillars!" exclaimed Ash. Hawlucha hit Lycanroc with a strong kick, while also ascending upwards and gaining the high ground.

"Now use Flying Press!" exclaimed Ash. Hawlucha swept down from the sky in a finishing move.

"Counter it with Thunder Fang!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Lycanroc bit into Hawlucha with electrified fangs as he descended, knocking him out.

"And it looks like Hawlucha couldn't land the finisher again!" exclaimed the referee. "This leaves us at 1-1, and the winner will move on to the semifinals!"

"Hawlucha, you did great," uttered Ash. "Sceptile, you can finish this!"

Sceptile exited its Poké Ball swiftly, slashing its bladelike arms around with a twig in his mouth as usual. Being with Serena's Sceptile had made it calmer, and more ready to battle.

"Leaf Blade!" exclaimed Ash. Sceptile slashed Lycanroc with a strong arm strike, dishing out heavy damage.

"Accelerock!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Lycanroc hit Sceptile with a strong headbutt, knocking him away.

"Quick Attack!" exclaimed Ash. Using confounding speed, Sceptile hit Lycanroc with a strong tail strike.

"Fire Fang!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Lycanroc bit into Sceptile with flaming fangs, dishing out heavy damage. Ash was shocked, as he didn't know that Lycanroc even knew that move in the first place.

"Leaf Storm!" exclaimed Ash. Sceptile began producing a storm of leaves, which not only shattered the Stone Edge stalagmites, but also hit Lycanroc hard.

"Accelerock!" exclaimed the Masked Royal. Lycanroc dashed at Sceptile once again with his head out.

"Counter with Leaf Blade!" exclaimed Ash. Sceptile produced a leaflike sword to parry Lycanroc's head, and the two of them pressed against each other in a bid for more strength. Yet, Sceptile managed to unleash the Leaf Blade and knock out Lycanroc.

"And it looks like Lycanroc has fallen," uttered the announcer. "Which means Ash Ketchum wins the battle and advances to the semifinals!"

Ash cheered, hugging Sceptile tightly. Meanwhile, the Masked Royal simply nodded at Ash before walking out.

"He looks familiar," Ash thought.

* * *

Ash exited the stadium, where he found his friends waiting for him. Serena, too, was also there.

"So you used the outfit I made for Hawlucha again," uttered Serena. "That's pretty thoughtful."

"Well, it did help me score my victory against Sawyer in the Lumiose Conference," replied Ash. He seemed nervous, but had an idea. He knew he had to confess soon. Serena, too, also felt as if she needed to say something soon.

"I need to ask you something," uttered Ash. Serena showed a shocked expression, but quickly got rid of it and replaced it with her usual smile.

"Sure, what's up?" replied Serena. She was nervous, and knew that she would be asking Ash about talking to him that night.

"Can we talk tonight?" replied Ash. "It's kind of personal."

"Uh, sure," replied Serena. "I need to talk to you about something as well."

As the two of them began to walk away from the stadium, Ash felt something inside of him. Was it love? Probably. He planned to tell Serena the truth.

* * *

We're almost there. The confession will be next chapter.


	11. Chapter 10: Two Lovers Unite

It's time. The chapter we've all been waiting for. The one where our two lovers come together.

* * *

Ash nervously sat down on the cabin's balcony alongside Serena. It had an amazing view of the rest of Ula'ula Island, as well as the nearby ocean. The sunset was beginning, making this the perfect moment to confess. Question is, would Ash botch it up? He was incredibly nervous, but knew that he had to say it.

"So should I talk first, or you?" Serena asked nervously. Truthfully, she was nervous as well. She knew that Ash had to know, but was unsure about how.

"I guess I'll start," replied Ash. "I asked to talk to you to...thank you, I guess."

"Thank me?" replied Serena. "What for?"

"For staying at my side," replied Ash. "When we first met, I saw you as someone who needed my help, and I was there for you. In Kalos, we supported each other every step of the way in both the Pokémon League and Pokémon Showcases. I trusted and cared for you."

"Oh Ash..." uttered Serena as she blushed intensely. "I did too."

"Serena...I, um, want you to know that I want to be with you," replied Ash. "I like you, okay? And if you don't, I'll support your decision. We've always supported each other in our goals. But I don't give up until it's over. Certainly not in this situation."

Serena's heartbeat began going faster upon hearing those words. Was he about to confess?

"And it's more than me simply liking you," replied Ash. "Serena, I...I love you."

Those four words were more than enough for Serena's blushing to be incredibly visible, for her to start tearing up in happiness and smiling constantly. Immediately, she tackled Ash with a swift embrace, their bodies closer than ever. And Ash felt as if a massive weight had been taken off of him, that he was no longer burdened by thinking constantly about whether or not she liked him.

"You don't know how long I've been waiting to here those words," replied Serena. "How long I've wanted to be with you."

"Now it's your turn," replied Ash. "How do you feel about me?"

"Great question," replied Serena. "The day we met, I was lost and hurt. But you were there for me, helping me find my way out of the forest as well as healing my leg. Then, I had to leave camp. As I grew up in Kalos, I never stopped thinking about you. It sort of developed into me...liking you."

"So it was since childhood then," replied Ash. "Interesting."

"Then, I saw you on the news in Lumiose," replied Serena. "I was terrified that you were gonna die after years of not seeing you. But fortunately, you didn't. We travelled together and got to know each other. This was when I began to fall in love with you. You never gave up, you always stayed positive, and most importantly, you supported everyone you knew."

Ash felt his heart race. He hadn't heard this side of Serena before, but he liked it.

"Ash, I love you!" exclaimed Serena. "And I don't care what anyone else thinks. I want to be with you for as long as I live, until the day that I die!"

"Serena, those words mean a lot to me," replied Ash. "But I'd also like to...apologize to you."

"Apologize?" replied Serena. "For what?"

"For not noticing sooner," replied Ash. "I did sort of develop a crush on you when you wore that Fennekin outfit for the Pokévision video, but I kept it to myself. I was scared of rejection. I sort of acted oblivious so nobody would talk to me about it. Though, Miette did, and I could tell that she was just trying to get close to me to annoy you. Heck, I suggested the idea of Clemont going with you to the dance party because I was too nervous to ask myself, and I wanted the Pokémon to be happy. I cried quite a bit that night."

"Ash, you didn't need to do any of that," replied Serena. "You should've just talked to me about it."

Ash held onto Serena tightly, in happiness.

"Can we hold hands?" asked Ash. Serena nodded before grasping Ash's hands. They were warm, and Serena felt incredibly happy by holding them.

"Ash, will we stay together?" asked Serena. "As a couple?"

"Well, if you mean me being your boyfriend, then yes," replied Ash. "I want to stay with you."

Serena and Ash continued to embrace tightly, knowing that they had finally found their significant other.

* * *

Ash and Serena were getting ready for bed, as Ash had a battle the next day. As they got ready, Serena walked up to Ash nervously.

"So, since we're a couple..." uttered Serena. "Want to...sleep together?"

"Sure," replied Ash. "After all, tonight, I want to be with you."

Serena blushed tightly, and the two of them got into bed, tightly embracing each other.

"I don't want to lose this feeling for the rest of my life," uttered Ash.

"Me neither," replied Serena. "So, what are you gonna do if you win in Alola?"

"Well, I'll be Alola's first Champion then," replied Ash. "Which means I won't really need to travel anymore. Which means more time to spend with you."

Serena blushed as she continued to embrace Ash.

"What if you lose?" replied Serena.

"I'd probably retry another league," replied Ash. "And of course, I'd ask you to come with me."

"Of course I would," replied Serena. "Though, I still want to become Kalos Queen."

"I'd never stop you from achieving that dream," replied Ash. "We're gonna stick together and support each other."

* * *

Yay, they're together. Anyways, the next chapter will be the semifinals.


	12. Chapter 11: Nearing the Finals

Alright, time for the semifinals. I'll be jumping into it halfway, since it would take a while to write a six-on-six battle. Also, the kiss will be coming soon, but not until the finals are over.

* * *

Ash was getting ready for the next half of his semifinals battle, as both him and Hau were down to three Pokémon, with Ash losing Garchomp, Lycanroc, and Sceptile already. Serena was sitting in Ash's preparation area, grabbing him a bottle of water.

"You're doing great," uttered Serena as she put her hand on Ash's shoulder. As they had confessed their love for each other last night, Serena felt much more comfortable around Ash, as awkward feelings didn't get in the way.

"Thanks Serena," replied Ash. "I won't let you down."

Ash hugged Serena tightly before walking out onto the battlefield. Hau was waiting for him, Poké Ball in hand.

"Looks like the battle between Ash and Hau is starting up again!" exclaimed the announcer. "As you can tell, the next stage of the battle will be in a Rock-type battlefield."

A rugged field of mountains emerged in the stadium, with Ash and Hau walking onto it.

"Komala!" exclaimed Hau. His Komala landed on the ground, sleeping heavily.

"Charizard, let's go!" exclaimed Ash. His Charizard slammed onto the ground, roaring.

"Flamethrower!" exclaimed Ash. Charizard took to the sky, before unleashing heavy flames on Komala.

"Slam!" exclaimed Hau. Komala smashed Charizard with its log, dealing vicious damage.

"Wing Attack!" exclaimed Ash. Charizard charged at Komala, lashing out at it with his wing for heavy damage.

"Shadow Claw!" exclaimed Hau. Komala lunged at Charizard, slashing him with a massive claw made from shadows.

"Slash!" exclaimed Ash. Charizard hit Komala with a strong claw strike, dishing out heavy damage.

"Bulk Up!" exclaimed Hau. Komala tightened its muscles, raising its attack power.

"Flamethrower!" exclaimed Ash. Charizard hit Komala with another blast of fire, and managed to land a burn.

"Fight through it and use Slam!" exclaimed Hau. Komala lunged at Charizard with its whole body out.

"Finish this with Slash!" exclaimed Ash. Charizard hit Komala with his claw as it lunged towards him, knocking him out.

"Komala is finished, leaving the score at 3-2!" exclaimed the announcer.

"Komala, return," uttered Hau. "Crabominable, you're up!"

Crabominable crashed into the ground, pounding his fists together.

"This'll be easy," uttered Ash. "Use Flamethrower!"

Crabominable was hit by a burst of flames, which dealt vicious damage.

"Ice Punch!" exclaimed Hau. Crabominable smashed Charizard with an ice-cold fist, dishing out heavy damage.

"Wing Attack!" exclaimed Ash. Charizard hit Crabominable with a strong wing strike, with the impact dealing quite a bit of damage.

"Rock Slide!" exclaimed Hau. Massive boulders hit Charizard for terrible damage, and he was barely managing to continue flying.

"Hold on and use Flamethrower!" exclaimed Ash. Charizard let out a wave of flames at Crabominable, which dealt terrible damage.

"Rock Slide again!" exclaimed Hau. Crabominable let out a blast of boulders at Charizard, knocking him out.

"Looks like Charizard couldn't handle the Rock Slides!" exclaimed the announcer. "Which leaves the score at 2-2!"

"Charizard, rest up," uttered Ash. "Greninja, let's go!"

Greninja leapt from his Poké Ball, nodding at Ash in respect.

"Use Water Shuriken!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja fired off a flurry of water shurikens at Crabominable, dealing vicious damage. Ash was just waiting to activate the Bond Phenomenon.

"Rock Slide!" exclaimed Hau. A pile of boulders hit Greninja and landed on the ground.

"Climb up the boulders and use Double Team!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja began dashing up the boulders at a high speed, before creating illusionary copies of himself.

"Use Ice Punch to find the real Greninja!" exclaimed Hau. Crabominable attempted to smash multiple copies with Ice Punch, but failed.

"Now use Cut!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja got rid of the copies before hitting Crabominable with a swift Cut. Ash could feel his heartbeat getting in sync with Greninja's.

"Brick Break!" exclaimed Hau. Crabominable charged at Greninja with his fist out, and landed a swift punch.

"We can do this Greninja!" exclaimed Ash. "Stronger, stronger, STRONGER!"

Greninja transformed into his Ash-Greninja form as the crowd cheered.

"Now use Water Shuriken!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja let out a massive shuriken made of pure water, hitting Crabominable hard with it.

"Ice Punch!" exclaimed Hau. Crabominable struck Greninja with a frozen fist, but Greninja and Ash held on.

"Now finish this with Cut!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja slashed Crabominable with his arm, knocking him out.

"And the Bond Phenomenon came back just in time!" exclaimed the announcer. "The score is now 2-1."

"Crabominable, rest up," uttered Hau. "Raichu, let's go!"

Raichu emerged in his Alolan Form, floating over the ground.

"Fake Out!" exclaimed Hau. Raichu smacked Greninja before he could do anything.

"Dark Pulse!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja hit Raichu with a wave of malicious energies, dishing out heavy damage.

"Electric Terrain!" exclaimed Hau. Electricity began to run over the ground.

"Water Shuriken!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja fired off another shuriken for heavy damage.

"Now use Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Hau. Electricity hit Greninja hard, with Ash also feeling the impact. Serena clenched her hand as she watched from the sidelines, but continued to put her faith in Ash.

"Double Team!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja created copies of himself again, and they rushed towards Raichu.

"Volt Tackle!" exclaimed Hau. Raichu slammed into many of the copies at once, eliminating them.

"Now use Cut!" exclaimed Ash. Greninja landed a swift blow with his arm, but was beginning to get worn out.

"Finish this with Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Hau. A massive blast of electricity struck Greninja, sending him to the ground. Ash found himself struggling to stay upright, but was fine after a few seconds.

"But it looks like Greninja couldn't make it," uttered the announcer. "Which means the score is 1-1, and whoever wins this next round will advance to the finals!"

"Greninja, you deserve a nice rest," uttered Ash as he returned Greninja to his Poké Ball. "Pikachu, let's go!"

Pikachu leapt from Ash's shoulder, smiling.

"This'll be interesting," uttered Hau. "Use Psychic!"

A wave of telekinetic energy struck Pikachu for heavy damage.

"Quick Attack!" exclaimed Ash. Pikachu dashed at Raichu for heavy damage.

"Use Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Hau. A blast of electricity struck Pikachu, but he held on.

"Now, use Gigavolt Havoc!" exclaimed Ash as he pulled out his Z-Ring. Pikachu produced a massive ball of electricity, before punching it at Raichu for heavy damage.

"Volt Tackle!" exclaimed Hau. Raichu dashed at Pikachu while cloaked in electricity.

"Counter with Quick Attack!" exclaimed Ash as Pikachu hit Raichu with a swift tackle again.

"Psychic!" exclaimed Hau.

"Thunderbolt!" exclaimed Ash. The two Pokémon unleashed their attacks, fighting to repel the other attack. Despite Raichu being evolved, it failed to prevent Pikachu's Thunderbolt from hitting.

"And it looks like Raichu has fallen!" exclaimed the announcer. "Which means Ash Ketchum wins the battle and advances to the finals!"

Ash cheered as he hugged Pikachu tightly, while Hau looked at him in respect.

"Congratulations," uttered Hau. "Good luck against Gladion."

* * *

Ash and Serena entered the indoor portion of the stadium, holding hands. The rest of the group arrived shortly after to congratulate Ash.

"Just one more battle, and you'll be Alola's first Champion!" exclaimed Lana. "It's exciting."

"Yeah," replied Ash. "I've got two days until the finals to train and prepare. As well as some time to spend with someone important to me."

Serena blushed as Ash said that last line.

"You know, we all knew you two liked each other," uttered Sophocles. "We just wanted to see how it would play out."

"Well that's interesting," replied Serena. "But I'm glad we're finally together."

"Yeah, it's great," replied Ash.

* * *

Next chapter will be some bonding, followed by the finals. Don't worry, that first kiss is coming.


	13. Chapter 12: Bonding Further

Yes, I'm back. Only for this chapter though. I'm debating moving to another website outside of this one, where I have more flexibility with my schedule. Let me know what you think. I'm not going to be updating the subreddit or my Tumblr anymore regarding my stories, however.

This will be a shorter chapter by the way.

* * *

Ash and Serena were sitting down at a table within the Sushi High Roller restaurant again, as part of their second date. This time, they were truly a couple, and it was all before the finals that would be the next day. As they dug into their food, they looked at each other fondly.

"I'm glad we're finally together," uttered Ash. "These last few days have been amazing."

"Yeah, they have," replied Serena. "Never thought we'd get together like this."

Eventually, the two of them finished their food, and began walking along the streets of Malie City, holding hands. It was dark out, but the nighttime air was cold and refreshing. Serena rested her head on Ash's shoulder as they walked, with the two of them feeling incredible happiness.

* * *

"So far, we've got eight tanks' worth of Z-Power," uttered an Aether Foundation scientist. Multiple other scientists were standing alongside him, as well as Jessie, James, and Meowth.

"I wonder why da boss wants all this Z-Power," uttered Meowth.

"My guess is that it's for a big operation," replied the scientist. "His instructions were to deliver it to headquarters once we've got twenty tanks' worth."

"Makes sense," replied Jessie.

* * *

Ash and Serena sat out on the deck of their cabin together, talking.

"You know, it was only a few days ago that I confessed to you here," uttered Ash. "What do you see in me?"

"Ash, I love you because of your energy for life," replied Serena. "You're always so optimistic and caring, and you never back down. And best of all, you're always there for your friends."

"Serena, thank you for those words," replied Ash. "I love you for your determination. You went for me in Kalos, and then you came here to see me. And you succeeded. When you want something, you go for it, and the results are usually good."

Serena blushed immensely as she tackled Ash with a hug, smiling intensely. He returned the hug as the two of them embraced for some time.

"Let's make a vow," uttered Ash. "When we're both old enough, when we're adults, let's get married. Let's spend the rest of our lives together."

"Oh Ash," replied Serena. "I'd love that. Let's never stray apart from each other."

As the two teens embraced, Ash thought about his future, and how tomorrow would decide the rest of his journey.

* * *

Yeah, this was fun to write. Who knows, maybe I'll do another chapter in the future. But don't expect any sort of schedule.


End file.
